As athletes complete their final training runs for the multi-sport Coast to Coast race next month, a royal connection is missing from the starting line up.
Last month Pippa Middleton, the younger sister of the Duchess of Cambridge, announced in a blog on The Spectator that she had her sights set on competing in the West Coast to Christchurch endurance event.
However, race director Robin Judkins said Ms Middleton had yet to sign up for the gruelling race, but he would hold a spot open for her.
He has even compared birth dates of entrants, in case she entered under a different name, but none match up - including a 'Lucy Noble' from the UK.
The official list of entrants so far shows West Coasters may be a little complacent about getting their entries in for the race, which is limited to 800 athletes.